A variety of existing manufacturers provide connected electronic in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, personal navigation devices (PND), and equivalent applications running on smart phones. However, with connected and PND systems today, services fail to operate when there is no data or network connection or no reliable data or network connection available, as is often the case when driving a vehicle. IVI and PND devices today function under the assumption that a data or network connection is either always required, or always unavailable, depending on the device design. There are no devices that work well in a “loosely connected” environment or an unreliable connection environment where data connections come and go.
For example, Google™ Map cannot provide search or guidance information when there is no data connection, although it can display a map by caching information related to a certain geographical area. Apple™ Siri cannot recognize navigation voice commands without a steady data connection. Pandora™ music stops or stutters when data or network connection is unreliable.
Some PND devices, such as devices from Garmin™ and TomTom™, do not use a data connection during operation. These types of devices are not considered “connected” devices and cannot offer the most up-to-date information and entertainment as a “connected” device does. Instead, these devices rely on local storage and processing, to provide static services for navigation and music, which can result in outdated information including incorrect maps and guidance.